# Implementation of Evidence-Based Pain Assessment in Pediatric Dentistry

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $163,187

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Dental procedures are one of the most common sources of acute pain in children. Painful childhood dental
experiences are distressing. Moreover, they are related to development of dental fear, future dental care
avoidance, and associated oral health problems. Use of evidence-based pain measurement tools is an integral
part of acute pain management, and such tools are available for use with children in the dental setting. These
tools are recommended by professional groups as part of routine clinical practice. However, dentists are
unlikely to consistently use standardized pain assessment protocols. This K23 project aims to identify the
barriers to and facilitators of evidence-based pain assessment in pediatric dentistry and to develop and pilot an
intervention that will increase dentists’ adherence to evidence-based guidelines on pain management. The
career development award will provide training to advance the candidate’s research program in behavioral
dentistry. A carefully devised training plan will allow the candidate to gain expertise in implementation science,
qualitative research methods, pediatric pain, and pediatric dentistry, as well as additional experience in
multidisciplinary collaboration and grant writing. Training goals will be achieved through rigorous mentorship
from experts, graduate-level coursework, and advanced professional development activities. The proposed
research project is congruent with the training goals. The first phase will include three studies: (1) a survey of
all US pediatric dentistry residency directors to determine which approaches to dental pain assessment are
taught, and how; (2) a large, nationally-representative survey of dentists to identify barriers to and facilitators of
use of evidence-based assessment of acute pediatric dental pain in clinical practice; and, (3) qualitative
interviews with dentists to refine the understanding of these barriers and facilitators and identify final targets for
intervention. The second phase will involve development of an implementation intervention targeting barriers
and facilitators identified in the first phase to improve adherence to assessment recommendations. Intervention
development will be informed by feedback from an advisory group of key stakeholders, and the implementation
strategy will subsequently be pilot tested with dentists for appropriateness, acceptability, and feasibility. The
long-term objective of this research is to improve pain management in pediatric dentistry as a means to
prevent patient distress, development of dental fear, and related health consequences. The work will take
place at a research-intensive public university with noteworthy strengths in behavioral dentistry,
implementation science, and pediatric pain. The award will complement the candidate’s existing strengths by
providing training in new domains and will prepare him for an independent research career using health
psychology to improve oral health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10246197
- **Project number:** 5K23DE028906-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Cameron L Randall
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $163,187
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10246197

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10246197, Implementation of Evidence-Based Pain Assessment in Pediatric Dentistry (5K23DE028906-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10246197. Licensed CC0.

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